The Tao of Gaming

I have that song stuck in my head, so hopefully I'm not alone anymore.

Over at SABG, folks are discussing new game orders and I realized -- I don't have new games I'm pining for. I mean, I'd like Dominion: Intrigue (but I haven't bought Dominion: Dominion yet). The Race expansions is obvious. But ... I already have Vinci. I'd like to play the Martin Wallace new stuff, but I'm lukewarm.

Part of this, no doubt, is just showing my street cred as a curmudgeon.

I think I'd buy Shadow Hunters (if it were to suddenly appear on the store). That seems like one of those games that will survive 10-15 plays, even if it doesn't set the world on fire. But that hardly qualifies as pining.

Should I be pining for anything coming out? Anything recent?

Playing with a random partner on BBO, I pick up.

AQ96 AJ7 A2 A542
Said partner opens 1 Diamond, then rebids them over my 1 Spade. Deciding to a) give up on science and b) play the hand, I bid 6NT.

	85 K3 KQJ853 K96
5 led		Q played
	AQ96 AJ7 A2 A542

With the carebear lead, you have twelve tricks. But that's no big deal. [A spade, three hearts, six diamonds and two clubs.] On the fourth diamond, RHO (having followed three times) graciously tossed the queen of clubs.

I was happy because I saw that the spade finesse for the overtrick wasn't necessary. Since RHO has shown the QJT of clubs, I can just play all my diamonds, cash the king of hearts, lead to the spade ace, keeping the following.

	8 - - K96
[Bored to tears]		K -- -- JTx
	Q J -- Ax

On the lead of the heart jack, dummy pitches the spade and east is squeezed. If he pitches a club then I play the ace, cross to the king and win the overtrick with the 9 of clubs.

In a just world, RHO would have had the spade king (or west would have had it singleton), but sadly west had the king and friends; no squeeze. And this was surely the babiest of squeezes, instantly obvious and requiring no work.

But, I take satisfaction out of the fact that it was instantly obvious to me. [To see tough squeezes ask Jeff ...].

This is why some people like golf ... one good shot makes up for a pathetic round.

Played a few games of Agricola, including a five player game.

I'm pretty much sold on Agricola. The five player game hit all my negative points ... five players, crappy hand versus good hands. I still enjoyed it.

A few more games of Phoenicia, and I'm still high on it.

A few face-to-face Dominion. I'm getting tempted to pick up Dominion and Intrigue, under the assumption that the new cards won't be on BSW.

Playing lots of bridge (as you may have guessed) and I'm fuming at my inconsistency. Today I placed an opponent on a 5141 distribution and defended accordingly.

Holding A4 J8762 KJ86 63,
You hear (and participate in) the following bidding. I'm sitting west, this hand. (The board was flipped when it arrived and nobody noticed until after the hand).

East South Me  North
--------------------
1C   X     1N  2S
3C[1]3S    P   P
P


[1] Just competing .... (you hope). [Yes, I should play Good/Bad 2NT to cover these situations.]

So, what do you lead?

	QT87 3 QT543 QJ7
A4 J8762 KJ86 63		J63 K5 A2 AT9542
	K952 AQT94 (7 K8

I led my top club. We got one club, two diamonds and a spade to hold three spades to three. But the computer (double dummy) analysis swears we can set 3 spades (looking at all four hands) with perfect play. With perfect knowledge I should have just started with the ace of trumps to protect my heart tricks. But that still isn't clear to me. Letting 3 spades make was worth 1.5.

Time for another monster.

AKJ86 KQT86 A Q4

As I gazed happily at this formidable collection ... partner opened 1 Diamond. I responded 1 Spade ... and partner bid 2 Hearts.

Amazing.

Pd Me
--------
1C  1S
2H  4N*  [*Roman Key Card in Hearts]
5H* 7H** [*2 Aces] [**See below]

Partner held Q AJ94 KQ975 A65

Of course my 7H bid was way too fast. If partner really can reverse, then she should have a) 16+ HCP and b) 5-4 in the reds, which means that I should consider 7 No-trump, to get those extra ten points. But I just figured that she probably had a stiff or two small spades, and then we'd need to ruff to set up my spades. I think 5N-6D;6S may ask for the spade queen but that's easy to interpret as "long spades, picking the slam" so perhaps 7H or shooting 7NT is a practical bid.

My opponents were bitterly complaining about their bad luck to have us bid a grand. But honestly, I'm not sure how I can stay out. Assume I bid hearts first (which may correct). I can see something like this.

1D  - 1H
3H* - 3S [*not strong enough for 3S splinter]
4C  - 4D
4S  - 4N
5H  - 5N
6D  - 6S* [SQ ask]
7D  - 7N

In any case, nobody found Seven No trump, and half the field missed the grand. One missed the slam.

The last hand is embarrassing.

West deals, N/S vulnerable.

	J94 3 AKQJ642 KT
Q73 KQ984 9753 A		AK6 J652 8 QJ872
	T852 AT7 T 96543

Honestly, I can't remember if West opened or not. I do know that we got to four hearts, and that north bid 5 Diamonds. I think West passed, North opened, I doubled, west bid 2D, North bid 3D, west bid 3H, North bid 4D, I bid 4H and then North bid 5D.

But maybe west opened and was worried that she'd shaded it.

Clearly someone should have doubled. Sigh. So we got 2 points on the final board, instead of a clear top.

Anyway, in looking back on the session (from a few weeks distance) it wasn't quite as interesting as I'd made out, although there were still plenty of bizarre little hands....

AKJTxx -- KQJT98x --

More amazingly, this hand sat when partner got doubled in 5H. The things you see online. (Although, the player self-listed as intermediate which means that I sympathize instead of mock).

Update: Just to make clear, I was serious about sympathy. Partner opened 1 Heart. Our beginner jumpshifted to 2 Diamonds and then bid 2 spades over the (expected) 2 hearts. Now opener (self-listed as expert) bid five hearts.

I understood what he meant by that ("I have good hearts but two club losers"), but I didn't a year ago.